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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When I read the description of this book I knew I had to snatch it up. Fall Out Boy references and other emo/punk rock references from my teen years? Yeah, I’m totally there. It also had serendipitous timing as I started it on the eve of the FOB concert.
This was a really fun nostalgia romp. I loved how she didn’t have the characters grow up and become “corporate sell outs” like we would’ve cringed over as teens. They stayed true to who they were at heart. The red tips may grow out, but the emo soul runs deep. Sam and Damon were very sweet and I loved the second chance romance while also having Sam deal with her own family issues and generational healing. It’s everything you could want — nostalgia, magical elements, fantastic music, questionable fashion choices, second chances, and best friends to lovers. The perfect little millennial romcom.
I enjoyed how each song correlated with a plot point in both the present time and the alternate universe. Excellent music choices! The only part I wasn’t a huge fan of was the repetition of the entire track list and Sam’s notes as she discovered the playlist. Now I can definitely see how this is helpful if you’re taking a lot of breaks while reading this, but when you’re zooming through the last dozen chapters, it just felt a little tiresome to read the same list over and over when there wasn’t any new insight added.
Overall, the characters were fun and lovable and the plot was realistic and sweet with just a bit of mystical elements through that magical little cd player. If you want something light and fun with a the perfect hint of emotion and baggage, this is a great choice.
Thank you to Net Galley and Canary Street Press/Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This was a really fun nostalgia romp. I loved how she didn’t have the characters grow up and become “corporate sell outs” like we would’ve cringed over as teens. They stayed true to who they were at heart. The red tips may grow out, but the emo soul runs deep. Sam and Damon were very sweet and I loved the second chance romance while also having Sam deal with her own family issues and generational healing. It’s everything you could want — nostalgia, magical elements, fantastic music, questionable fashion choices, second chances, and best friends to lovers. The perfect little millennial romcom.
I enjoyed how each song correlated with a plot point in both the present time and the alternate universe. Excellent music choices! The only part I wasn’t a huge fan of was the repetition of the entire track list and Sam’s notes as she discovered the playlist. Now I can definitely see how this is helpful if you’re taking a lot of breaks while reading this, but when you’re zooming through the last dozen chapters, it just felt a little tiresome to read the same list over and over when there wasn’t any new insight added.
Overall, the characters were fun and lovable and the plot was realistic and sweet with just a bit of mystical elements through that magical little cd player. If you want something light and fun with a the perfect hint of emotion and baggage, this is a great choice.
Thank you to Net Galley and Canary Street Press/Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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
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
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Sam has been gone from her hometown for 20 years, but she's headed back as her grandma is selling her childhood home. Once there, she finds a mix CD (one of my greatest loves, so this plot point was so endearing to me) that her best friend Damon once made for her. Listening to each track literally takes her back to the past, except in this version it's a vision of what might have been. And it's these reflections that make her think about where she is now. I will say that I wanted more of the nostalgia times because I love a throwback. However, I did still like how these flashbacks centered Sam and her story (while also involving supporting characters) throughout. Thanks to NetGalley for the look at this July 2024 release!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Car accident, Abandonment
Minor: Miscarriage
I am a huge Erin La Rosa fan so I was so excited to read this early copy of The Backtrack and I was not disappointed! I didn't know what to expect since this was a bit of a departure from her other contemporary romances and I thought it was going to be a full timeline change vs what it was (seeing short visions of an alternate life). I kept trying to guess what the next song would be or what that alternate timeline would show based on the songs. I was always wrong but I still really enjoyed it! I loved being able to see the results of the "What if?" and how it may look amazing at some points but that doesn't mean it would have been the right decision in the long run. That maybe the decisions you made may have hurt then but were for the best overall. As an elder-emo I loved reliving the music and fashion of high-school too!
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and Erin La Rosa for this ARC!
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and Erin La Rosa for this ARC!