This book reads like a movie in your head filled with early 2000s nostalgia 😍. I would have LOVED it at 17, 27 and probably even more now at 37 😂.

My heart thought it was prepared for the journey Sam was about to take back to her childhood home. I was ready to deal with revisiting the past, I was ready to see potential former flames even... I was not ready for the emotional journey this book took me on because it definitely went places I wasn't expecting, but it was so good 🥰. Seriously, I would absolutely watch this if it were a movie 📽️. Multiple times.

The emo-child within me was thriving reading this book! I loved all the music references and how the music of their relationship really drove the story. I think the Alt-version of the characters did a great job serving as a "what if" to help our present-timeline characters grow.

Erin La Rosa's "The Backtrack" follows Sam Leto, a successful international pilot who returns to Tybee Island, Georgia, to assist her grandmother Pearl with moving out of their once-shared beach home. While there, Sam confronts her painful memories and rekindles her relationship with childhood best friend Damon Rocha. The story revolves around a mixtape from Damon, the alternate reality it represents, and the nostalgic and emotional journey of their relationship. The book is filled with nostalgia, and amid backyard dances and motorcycle rides, the anticipation of their reunion makes for an enjoyable, beachy read.

“The Backtrack” was a bit of a victim of circumstance for me. For one, it consisted of two tropes I’m not really a fan of (alternating timelines and second chance). I also read the bulk of it immediately post surgery, which I think clouded my opinion of it.

I’m normally a fan of slight fantastical elements in contemporary romance, but I felt like this one was just alternating timelines in disguise so it didn’t work for me as much. And even so, I still don’t understand what the purpose was of showing Sam the alternate version of events. It certainly didn’t build any chemistry between her and Damon. Their current chemistry was all implied to be from this past chemistry, but all of the flashbacks were from high school or immediately post high school. A lot can change in 15 years, I wouldn’t expect them to be the same people they were before. Meanwhile, this book was trying to balance Sam’s personal growth, her family issues, and the romance all at once and I’m not sure it succeeded.

While I wasn’t a fan of the execution, there were some elements of the book I enjoyed. I really liked the 2000s nostalgia (even if it was a bit heavy handed). That was a lot of fun. I also enjoyed the themes around Sam’s relationship with her mother/family and how her story reflected her mother’s. I wish we got a little more from Damon, he was a bit one dimensional.

Overall, I’d still recommend this one to people since I think it was mostly a me problem, but this one just didn’t land for me (excuse the pilot pun).

2.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Canary Street Press for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Sam escaped Tybee Island, GA as soon as she could, even though it meant leaving behind Damon, her best friend and waiting to see if they could be more. Sam dreamed of being of a pilot and nothing, not even love was going to stop her. Now, 15 years later she’s back to help her ailing grandmother and seeing a much more handsome version of Damon makes her realize that her feelings for Damon are still there, if not stronger. Sam has always wondered what would have happened if she had let Damon kiss her all those years ago - so when she finds her old CD player and the mix CD Damon gave her she decides to play it. However each song she listens to has the power to take her to an alternative version of her life that would have occurred if she hand Damon and kissed. Now she has to decide whether she should give love a chance or continue to run away.

I feel like I’ve read a bunch of high-school-best-friends-turn to-true-love stories in the past month (e.g. Slow Dance, Break Up Pact). What was cute about this one was the clever magical CD player plot device/alternative universe. I read this one pretty quickly (as I do most books) because I really liked all the characters and really wanted to (1) see what would happen to the alternative Sam and Damon and (2) watch for the real world ones to get together. What was clever about this time travel concept was that Sam could see her past but couldn’t actually change anything about it - she was simply a spectator of her alternate world (no butterfly effect in this one). All cute romances have great ancillary characters - and this one does not disappoint, the grandmother, the best friend and Damon’s family all added to the story. This was a cute sliding doors/second chance romance that I found charming and entertaining!

Thank you to Canary Street Press and NetGalley for the ARC to review

What a fun nostalgic read. If emo was not a phase for you either, you definitely need to give this romance a try - there's so many great nostalgic song and band references I need a playlist from the book asap. Great music aside, the story is simple but effective. I liked exploring the what ifs surrounding Sam's return to her hometown and best friend, Damon, reconnecting after a decade of not really speaking. The fated elements in the story were done satisfyingly and felt earned through Sam and Damon's past and present relationship.

I absolutely loved this story! In a small village, a long-ago romance between best friends became lovers is given a second chance, in addition with a dash of magical time travel. Although it sounds like a really sweet rom-com from the book synopsis, I believe there are also some deeper themes included. The idea of finding your own self before sharing your life with someone else, no matter how much you love them, is also explored in the book, as is the idea of being with the right person at the wrong moment.

The main characters were fantastic! They were very lovely and relatable, and, omg, Grandma Pearl was seriously hilarious!
The way that each song tied to a plot aspect in both the other universe and the present was such a amazing idea. Fantastic selections of music!

I adored this heartfelt, moving and fun read! I loved the characters and that music played such a pivotal role in the story. This is the type of book that will put a smile on your face.

I’m not completely sure how I feel about this one - I might need to go back and flip through it again later to revisit it… I’m not totally sold on the idea of the premise… I think it’s maybe a 3.5-star rounded up to 4 for me. I’ve found La Rosa’s books up and down for me! Her first was not my fave but I really enjoyed her second, and now I’m on the fence with this one.

The plot device of telling a story in flashbacks is one I really dislike, but this book uses it in a way that’s different, which is why I wanted to read it. The idea is that Sam head’s home to her small town to see her grandmother, Pearl, who’s going to sell the house, and she comes across an old mix CD her high school bestie Damon had made. He filled it with songs of their school days.

Sam listens to it and it takes her back… literally… but the memories are of what could have been, if she and Damon had decided to tell each other how they felt and been together, instead of remaining BFFs and her going off to become a pilot like she always dreamed (sort of a split or dual potential timeline - not time travel and doesn’t actually happen). It all goes off course then and in current times, and that’s where it goes weird for me.

I know many readers are going to love this one, but I just didn’t really connect with it - perhaps because the way of telling any story in flashbacks in any format just really annoys me, I’m not sure, but La Rosa is a great writer and storyteller, that trope and plot device aside.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Canary Street Press, and this is my honest feedback.

3.5 upped to 4
I liked the pop references and the great grandma, I felt that there was no big chemistry between Sam and Damon and was left wondering what bring now them together.
You can listen to all the possible songs of your youth but you're 20 years older and had quite an interesting life I assume. Are you sure that the right solution is falling in love with the guy who could have been right for you long ago ?
It was entertaining, there's a number of graphic sex scenes, and it's a friend-to-lover/second-chance romance.
I know that some suspension of belief would have helped and i liked how the cd triggered the sliding doors.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, alle opinions are mine

The Bakctrack is a friends to lovers second chance romance with a ton of nostalgia!

Sam returns home for the first time since she left in order to help sell her grandparent’s home. She left as soon as she could and left behind Damon in the process. While they are no longer close, Sam experiences very strong flashbacks when listening to certain songs that make it feel like she can change the past and her relationships. The concept of this was so cute and I was so excited to read this but it unfortunately fell very flat for me! I felt zero chemistry between these characters and got the feeling that I was just supposed to know it was there even though it was never shown. The writing style got more and more flat as the book went on and it was just bits of boring plot then a bombardment of Y2K nostalgia listed as if there was a checklist for items to bring up. I was hoping for so much more on this one!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Erin La Rosa, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing this free ARC. This is my honest review! This will publish on July 16th.

I have posted my review on Goodreads, and in my Facebook book club.

"'Sugar, We're Goin Down' reignted the genre."
JanSport backpacks are timeless.
I miss dunkaroos.
"He was the Romy to her Michele, minus the back brace."

If I'm being honest, Erin La Rosa had me at Fall Out Boy. LOL.


Ssm Leto is a pilot, and a damn good one. But she's about to face her biggest challenge yet - going home. She is a nervous wreck, she hasn't been home since flight school.

But, Sam's grandma is getting older, and wants to move into assisted living. Sam agrees to leave her home in Paris and come visit to help her pack up the family home. The biggest hurdle is seeing her old high school best friend, Damon.
After he tried to kiss her and their friendship fell apart, Sam left without a real goodbye and didn't keep in touch.
As she heads home, she knows she will have to face Damon, and their past together. After an awkward reunion, Sam starts listening to an old mixtape Damon gave to her about five seconds before everything changed.
Sam hits play, and immediately finds herself transported back to that EXACT moment, only with a different ending. Instead of falling apart, Sam sees herself lean into the kiss and everything changes. Track after (incredible) track, Sam sees what life could have been like if she'd stayed.

As the plot develops, we get to see whether or not Sam made the right choice all those years ago, and Sam gets one chance to fix her friendship without destroying herself in the process.

I laughed, I cried, I CRINGED at the fact that I related so hard to their high school days lol. Who DIDN'T though?!
I truly enjoyed reading this one, and highly recommend it. ALSO check out the playlist on Spotify!

Successful, international pilot Sam Leto returns to Tybee Island, Georgia, to help her grandmother Pearl move out of the beach home they once shared. Returning home forces Sam to confront some painful memories as well as some bittersweet ones and to once again come face-to-face with childhood best friend Damon Rocha, who once upon a time was almost something more.

Just in case spending time with him now isn’t enough to make her wonder what would have happened if she had just kissed him back in high school, the universe decides to send her more signs in the form of a mixtape from Damon in a magical CD player.

Listening to each song gives her a glimpse of what their lives would have been like if they had crossed that line to become more than friends so many years ago.

Despite her being a world traveler and him being a hometown boy, Sam and Damon just fit. They are each other’s sense of home.

But—oof—Erin La Rosa makes their hearts work for that happy ending.

Filled with nostalgia, the Backtrack will make you want to dig out your Discman, put on your Doc Martens, and roll on some glitter for old times’ sake. It will put your heart through the emotional wringer, not only with Sam and Damon’s relationship in the present and their story arc in that alternate reality, but with Sam’s familial relationships as well.

Damon has my heart.

Sam has my support.

And I adored the full cast of characters.

It wouldn’t be an Erin La Rosa novel without some delectable steam, and between the backyard dances and motorcycle rides, the buildup to them finally coming together is delicious.

And it looks like their relationship can now weather the storm.

I received an advance copy of the book from Canary Street Press and HTP Hive. All review opinions are my own.

THE BACKTRACK – Erin La Rosa
Canary Street Press
ISBN: 978-1-335-00945-6
July 16, 2024
Contemporary Romance

Tybee Island, Georgia – Present Day

Airline pilot Samantha “Sam” Leto hasn’t been home to Tybee Island for nearly twenty years. She left behind her then boyfriend Damon Rocha because she didn’t want to remain stuck in town. But her grandmother, Pearl, has decided to sell her house and move into assisted living. Sam will help her pack up the house and throw away the stuff that isn’t needed. She comes across her old CD player and decides to play it, but there are no batteries in it. However, that doesn’t seem to matter as the music starts playing and Sam is whisked back in a dreamlike state to high school. Only…things appear a heck of a lot different than what she remembers.

What if you could go back in time and see how your life would have been if you had chosen a different path? That is what happens with Sam in THE BACKTRACK by Erin La Rosa. Of course, Damon is a big part of her visions. In them, he still loves her, and they are together. Yet, her path takes a turn she didn’t expect when she does things she didn’t do while they were together. I won’t spoil what it is, but it hangs over Sam in this tale. At first, she is confused as to why she is experiencing these weird visions as she watches herself change the course of her life. Then it becomes imperative that she find out what happens in the end. Will she like what happens? Will something lead her to change her current life?

In between Sam’s visions we see her life growing up and what it is today. There is a motley crew in THE BACKTRACK. Not only her grandmother but friends and neighbors. They all make for some entertaining reading. Meanwhile, Sam is getting to know the current version of Damon and she likes what she sees. Was her walking away from him the right thing to do? Sam is happy traveling the world around, but does she want to settle down a little bit with a guy she loves? Readers will need to read this tale to find out.

Readers will find that THE BACKTRACK is a bit different tale. Is it a romance with a happily-ever-after ending or will there be sadness? Discover the answer by grabbing a copy today.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

The Backtrack is a fun and emotional second chance romance. It’s the story of Sam when she returns home and listens to an old mixed CD and she is magically shown her past, but a different version. I loved the story of her and Damon. And the songs gave me such nostalgia and wanting to play them while reading.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

I was so intrigued by this book because of the concept. Our MC is an international female pilot and has "escaped" her sleepy hometown on Tybee Island, GA to gallivant around the world. When her grandmother, Pearl, who basically raised her, slips and breaks her wrist, Sam heads home where she is going to help clean out her childhood bedroom and get Pearl ready for assisted living. Upon coming home, Sam discovers that her old portable CD player has mystical powers, and while listening to songs from the last mix tape her high school crush, Damon, made her, she has visions of an alternate version of her life where she and Damon ended up actually being more than friends in high school.

I graduated high school in the early aughts, and while Sam seems to be a few years younger than me, many of the songs on this playlist (like "Curse of Curves" by Cute it What We Aim For) were anthems of my late teens and early 20's. The nostalgia factor of this playlist was *chef's kiss*. And the story overall is pretty cute. However, there were several moments where I felt the writing style dragged a touch. Damon and Sam are fine characters but also seem a bit caught up in the long forgotten insta love from high school. I like the idea of thinking about "what could have been" and I enjoyed this overall, but it shouldn't have taken me as long to finish as it did. In the first 25% of the book I would have said this was a 4/5 star read, but the remaining 75% had some weird pacing issues, and conflicts seemed to effortlessly resolve after pages upon pages of "inner turmoil", so the last bit was more 2/5 for me. Overall I think this was cute, and I like Erin La Rosa as an author. If you're looking for a leisurely magical realism "new" adult coming of age story, I think this is worth checking out.

The Backtrack by Erin La Rosa is a cute romance with a little drama facing tough issues written into a fantasy twist of a story. Mental health disorders & aging family are both present in Sam & Damon's relationship from past to present.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book on #NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own, but this is my 2nd Erin La Rosa book & I think she's a very talented author. The Backtrack is overall a sweet romance, but a bit unbelievable & hard to follow on what the scenes/visions are trying to convey.

I absolutely devoured this book and only put it down to go to bed and finished it when I got up! Sam and Damon are meant to be together and the songs chosen brought back my own nostalgia. The songs fit so well with the story! Music has played a similar role in my life and I really connected with this book.

The Backtrack is my second novel by Erin La Rosa after enjoyed For Butter or Worse. The story follows Sam Leto who grew up on Tybee Island in Georgia where she had secret feelings for her best friend, Damon Rocha. When Sam is summoned back by her grandmother, Pearl, who is selling the family home, Sam rediscovers the mix tape that Damon made for her many years ago. As the songs play, Sam gets the chance to see what things could have been with Damon. Each song that plays gives so much nostalgia, especially for those that grew up right in the middle of that 2000s era. There are tons of references to the time period and multiple song choices from the emo/punk genres.

I loved the concept of this story as it gives the nice ‘what-ifs’ mixed in with some nostalgia. The characters were enjoyable, but I think as a major character, Damon was not fully fleshed out. He was included in a lot of the story, but a lot of the focus remained on Sam with her family after she left home years ago. It also heavily relies on the reader experiencing nostalgia rather than giving an immense focus on the character/story building. For me, if you took away the nostalgia aspect, there were good elements, but it was not as great as it could have been. Damon and Sam shared decent chemistry, but I still expected a lot more in a romance story. Overall, this was a nice story that was easy to read in a single sitting, but I think the author could have gone more in depth on some elements.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Canary Street Press, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

This was a really cute and interesting read about friends-to-lovers with some magical realism. Sam is a pilot who returns to her hometown and ends up transported into an alternate reality of dating her old best friend, Damon, every time she listens to a mixtape on this magical CD player.

I don't enjoy third-person narratives, and I found that this made relating and even empathizing with Sam difficult. However, she was clearly dealing with so many heavy matters at once: traumatic childhood memories involving abandonment, her grandma selling their family house and wanting to move to a retirement home, and, of course, repairing the fallout she had with Damon. She was flawed, for sure, but I just found it strange she'd never once returned to her home where her family and supposed best friend lived. I did not feel invested in the family dynamic between the Leto women - Pearl and Bonnie both rubbed me the wrong way. As for Damon, while I liked reading about their romance more, he also didn't really interest me that much either - it was a lot of empty dialogue that didn't show his personality much, if that makes sense.

What I really enjoyed, though, was the CD player alternate universe that Sam would experience every time she listened to a song. I looked forward to every vision she had and was pleasantly surprised to see how that alternate ending played out.

Overall, I would recommend this somewhat magical, almost second-chance romance - it was a quick and easy read. Thank you, NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Erin La Rosa, for this ARC!