The Backtrack: A Novel BY Erin La Rosa

Life, Rewound...

Sam Leto left her quaint hometown of Tybee Island, Georgia nearly twenty years ago, driven by dreams of becoming a pilot and escaping the shadows of a difficult childhood. Yet, when her grandmother Pearl decides it's time to sell the family home, Sam reluctantly returns to pack up the memories.

Entering her old bedroom, Sam is instantly transported back to the 2000s: Fall Out Boy posters, drawers of roll-on body glitter, and her cherished CD player with a mixtape from Damon Rocha, her best friend. Damon was always her confidant, and Sam often wonders about the paths not taken—especially the one where she admitted her feelings for him.

In a twist of fate, the CD player miraculously still works. Even more mysteriously, it seems to possess the power to unveil an alternate reality of Sam's life. Each song on the mixtape triggers vivid flashbacks—senior prom, graduation, pivotal moments of departure. Yet, these memories show what could have been, not what actually transpired. Sam is confronted with the haunting realization of how different life might have been if she had taken a chance with Damon.

"A perfectly tuned love story that resonates deeply, destined to linger in your thoughts." — Lauren Kung Jessen, author of Red String Theory and Lunar Love.

"La Rosa excels in crafting genuinely humorous and empowering romantic tales—I eagerly await each new one." — Amy Spalding, bestselling author of For Her Consideration.