The Backtrack
(eBook)

Life, rewound… Nearly twenty years ago, Sam Leto left her small hometown of Tybee Island, Georgia, to pursue her wanderlust dreams of becoming a pilot. And while she'd prefer to keep flying away from her painful childhood memories, her beloved grandmother Pearl decides it's time to sell the family home. Reluctantly, Sam is summoned back to pack up the house. The 2000s nostalgia from Sam's childhood bedroom hits immediately: Fall Out Boy posters, drawers of roll-on body glitter, and even her favorite CD player with a mixtape from her best friend, Damon Rocha. Damon was always a safe place and Sam has often wondered what if her teenaged self had admitted her feelings for him instead of turning him down in fear of ruining their friendship, though of course that happened anyway. Sam is deep in her emo-feels when she discovers the CD player still works all these years later. But it holds more than the memories of her favorite music-the CD player has the power to show Sam an alternate version of her life. Song by song, Sam receives flashbacks from her past-senior prom, graduation, leaving home. But the memories aren't as she remembers them. They show an alternate life. What could have been. Suddenly, Sam knows exactly how everything would have worked out if she'd taken a chance with Damon-and she can't help but wonder if she made a terrible mistake leaving Tybee all those years ago. "La Rosa shines at genuinely funny and feminist romantic tales, and I'll read every single one of them." -Amy Spalding, bestselling author of For Her Consideration "The Backtrack is the perfect nostalgic love story for anyone whose music taste hasn't changed since high school. It is a love ballad to both pop punk and the people we leave behind." -Allison Raskin, New York Times bestselling author of Overthinking About You "Bursting with mid-aughts nostalgia, The Backtrack is an irresistible take on what if. With a cast of lovable, quirky characters and a dreamy seaside setting, Sam and Damon's sliding doors love story pulled me in like the heart-tugging hook of a favorite song. Full of wisdom about being true to oneself, growing up, and the little decisions that can change everything, La Rosa's newest is the perfect mix(tape) of laugh-out-loud, steamy, and sincere." -Holly James, author of The Déjà Glitch "This is the book of my nostalgic dreams! Erin La Rosa hits all the right notes in this catchy second-chance romance humming with heart, heat, and humor. Filled with tender and laugh-out-loud moments, sparkling banter, and thought-provoking flashbacks, The Backtrack is a perfectly-in-tune love story that will be playing on repeat in my mind for a very long time." -Lauren Kung Jessen, author of Red String Theory and Lunar Love "La Rosa has written a beautiful contemplation on what-ifs. Watching Sam and Damon's lives intertwine and then intertwine again is equally as riveting in each timeline, leaving the reader cheering for their love story and Sam's poignant journey of self love and acceptance. Throw on your old band shirts, cue up the music, and get ready for a love story so tender you'll have to press repeat." -Carlyn Greenwald, author of Sizzle Reel and Director's Cut PRAISE FOR PLOT TWIST "Readers will swoon for Dash and Sophie as they struggle to resist their growing feelings. This is a true romance lover's romance." -Publishers Weekly "An engaging novel that seamlessly weaves together an exploration of love, the challenges of sobriety, and robust sex." -Kirkus Reviews "This book takes on some very serious topics, which are lightened by Sophie's zany antics, and will appeal to fans of Christina Lauren and Tessa Bailey." -Booklist "A quirky, sexy romp that had me turning pages into the night. An ex-actor struggling with sobriety and a frazzled wri...