A review by bribreez
Rewind It Back by Liz Tomforde

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

*Check trigger warnings before reading. 

4.75⭐️/ 4🌶️

(Sniff) I can’t believe this was the final book…all these characters have grown, formed families, and it was the end of an era. With this being the final book, it was actually fitting for Rio’s story to close it out. Rio had been a long time friend throughout the books, and as the now only single friend out of the friend group, it seemed like when was it going to be his chance to find love too? As luck would have it or if you asked Rio, the last imaginable thing to happen, he was face to face with someone from his past, Hallie. Hallie knew Rip way before his became a famous NHL player, and with her living in Chicago and being the one hired to renovate his house, she was in close proximity to the man she once thought the world of. Liz Tomforde wrote an amazing love story full of depth, history between Hallie and Rio, dual timelines, found family, and other great parts to this story. Hallie and Rio once shared a deep connection, the question was…could they…REWIND IT BACK?! (*haha wow I’m actually proud of that little line and incorporating the title hehe).

Wow, I’m kind of shocked that this is the final book. I’m a little sad that now that’s it, no matter of the main group, BUT I’m hoping they might still make appearances especially in Liz Tomforde’s new book since it has a character we have all met and really liked. Anyways, this story was full of interesting stuff from getting to learn about Hallie and her relationship with Rio starting from a young age. Hallie and Rio’s story showed different parts in their lives from childhood, Rio getting into hockey, family dynamics, first love, and unfortunately the heartbreak that subsequently followed after some devastating news in both their lives. When Rio was faced with Hallie being back in his life, it brought back the memories they once shared, but also the conflicting feelings too. Hallie was an independent woman who truly went above and beyond in order to get by, and make sure the people in her life were taken care of. I don’t know how Hallie did it, but wow, that woman was amazing, even from a young age. Reading this book, I could definitely see the sparks between Hallie and Rio from the beginning and even as they were reunited those sparks turned even more intense and beautiful. 

At the heart of this story, it wasn’t just seeing Hallie and Rio get another shot being together, but also the melding of families, namely adding onto the found family in this series. I’ve always loved seeing how everyone is so close with each other, but to see Rio’d friendship with the women has always been a favorite of mine even more so in this book. In addition, seeing the group welcome Hallie with open arms was heartwarming especially considering how Hallie had always craved having more friendships in her life. Throughout this story, there was plenty of familiar faces who added love and warmth to Hallie and Rio’s story that I really loved. 

(Sigh) like I said, a lot happened in both Hallie and Rio’s lives, but as they got back together, they still needed to work through those issues that played into their initial breakup. Learning what I did, I could see why Hallie and Rio went their separate ways, but it was still sad to see how certain things led to them being apart for those six years. I think the way Rio and Hallie went about talking things over was good because, in order for them to be together once again, they had to face the hard discussions that they weren’t able to have years prior. The communication in this book really lent to Hallie and Rio’s relationship and it strengthened their bond. Not all relationships are perfect, and I think seeing Rio and Hallie were showed that even they had to work things out before they achieved their happy ending. 

I’m obviously not going into deep detail as to certain parts I liked or even the things I loved and adored about both Rio and Hallie, but I think when you read for yourself, it’ll be great for you instead of me go on and on how I loved specific parts. As a whole, this book was the culmination of so many characters stories coming to an end. When I think about it, I’ve been reading about these characters for a couple of years! That’s wild to me! Liz really wrote the perfect ending to this series, and I loved how she wrote the epilogue specifically to include all the characters and how they’ve come a long way from where they previously were in their respective lives. Years in the making, Rio and Hallie’s story was the perfect way to round out the group with officially adding another member to the family. Some tiny tears were shed while reading, but I was more happy to just have my time to read Hallie and Rio’s story in peace. I would highly recommend this book and all the other books in this series, you won’t be disappointed. 
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