What do you think?
Retro
Ash is a failed actress who is done trying to ‘make’ something of her life. Until a golden opportunity drops in her a job at Retro, an agency who organise trips into the past for the ultra-wealthy.
Energised by her new role, Ash throws herself into leading bachelorette parties in the Old West, birthday parties at Woodstock and a situationship with a hard-drinking detective from 1937. But as time goes on, it becomes clear that Retro’s shadowy founder Ro has terrifying designs for the company’s future – and for the part Ash herself can play in it.
Energised by her new role, Ash throws herself into leading bachelorette parties in the Old West, birthday parties at Woodstock and a situationship with a hard-drinking detective from 1937. But as time goes on, it becomes clear that Retro’s shadowy founder Ro has terrifying designs for the company’s future – and for the part Ash herself can play in it.
407 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 507 reviews
June 17, 2026
Review of advance
Copy received from
NetGalley
Retro by Jessica M. Goldstein is a contemporary, character-driven story that focuses more on memory, identity, and emotional reflection than on a fast-moving plot. It follows characters who are looking back at their past choices while trying to figure out where they stand in the present.
I liked the idea behind the book and the way it explores nostalgia and how the past shapes people, but I didn’t fully connect with it. The story felt quite introspective, and at times that made it hard for me to stay emotionally invested in the characters or their journeys.
That said, the writing is strong and very atmospheric. Jessica M. Goldstein does a good job of capturing emotional shifts and the subtle dynamics between people. There are moments that feel thoughtful and well observed, especially when it comes to relationships and personal reflection.
Even though it didn’t completely work for me, I can see what it was aiming for. Readers who enjoy slower, reflective literary fiction focused on character and emotion would probably appreciate it more than I did.
Thank you NetGalley, Jessica M. Goldstein and Ballantine Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publishing date: June 25th 2026
Copy received from
NetGalley
Retro by Jessica M. Goldstein is a contemporary, character-driven story that focuses more on memory, identity, and emotional reflection than on a fast-moving plot. It follows characters who are looking back at their past choices while trying to figure out where they stand in the present.
I liked the idea behind the book and the way it explores nostalgia and how the past shapes people, but I didn’t fully connect with it. The story felt quite introspective, and at times that made it hard for me to stay emotionally invested in the characters or their journeys.
That said, the writing is strong and very atmospheric. Jessica M. Goldstein does a good job of capturing emotional shifts and the subtle dynamics between people. There are moments that feel thoughtful and well observed, especially when it comes to relationships and personal reflection.
Even though it didn’t completely work for me, I can see what it was aiming for. Readers who enjoy slower, reflective literary fiction focused on character and emotion would probably appreciate it more than I did.
Thank you NetGalley, Jessica M. Goldstein and Ballantine Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publishing date: June 25th 2026
July 29, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
Lots of thoughts!!!
1) That ending was both frustrating & brilliant thematically
2) I wish this had more plot (sometimes the plot felt absent entirely)
3) Very atmospheric & well-done in that aspect
4) I really loved the deeper messages here (nostalgia vs living in present vs embracing uncertainty with future)
5) I expected a bit more whimsical, but I think I enjoyed the depth even more
6) SLOWWW - then very fast at the end? Pacing is my biggest complaint
I wish this was a little faster paced & had more plot, but overall a decent read.
Lots of thoughts!!!
1) That ending was both frustrating & brilliant thematically
2) I wish this had more plot (sometimes the plot felt absent entirely)
3) Very atmospheric & well-done in that aspect
4) I really loved the deeper messages here (nostalgia vs living in present vs embracing uncertainty with future)
5) I expected a bit more whimsical, but I think I enjoyed the depth even more
6) SLOWWW - then very fast at the end? Pacing is my biggest complaint
I wish this was a little faster paced & had more plot, but overall a decent read.
May 4, 2026
Thank you Ballantine Books and Net Galley for the ARC!
Well I’m not sure how to rate this honestly. The concept is really unique, and the overall story was interesting. But this was like a buffet of story lines. A lot of different things, none of them really cooked that great, and when you’re done you realize you filled up on enough that you’re full but not really satisfied.
First, there seemed to be a lot of focus on colors. Liftoff gold was more of a main character than Ash it seemed and I’m not sure why.
There wasn’t enough of the story dealing with the trips, I wanted more of that.
So many story lines that felt just added to be added, not fully fleshed out. Even the overall story. So she had a famous movie star friend. Ok. They wrote a script that might be a movie. Ok. She had an unfortunate run in with a movie executive. Ok. She had a relationship with a man in the past. Ok. There was an influencer that had some health issues after time traveling. Ok. She was having health issues. Ok. Even the end, she got in the tomorrow train. Ok. I don’t think many of these went anywhere, or were expanded on enough.
And the ending. Cmon. I get letting the reader sometimes decide or come up with how they interpret the ending but it felt lazy. What happened to Ash? What happened to Jane? What happened to Ro? What happened to Retro? Did others remember her again?
Also, and this bothered me a bit, if she was going to stay in the past but needed to leave the embassy for other explorers what was to stop her from telling them what happened, or violently taking their pastports to get back and if they go back to the same point in time and place wouldn’t it be Ash’s past anyway?
This was probably a 2 star book but bc I love time travel and this was a new concept to me I was forgiving. But it could use a liftoff gold coating to make it better.
Well I’m not sure how to rate this honestly. The concept is really unique, and the overall story was interesting. But this was like a buffet of story lines. A lot of different things, none of them really cooked that great, and when you’re done you realize you filled up on enough that you’re full but not really satisfied.
First, there seemed to be a lot of focus on colors. Liftoff gold was more of a main character than Ash it seemed and I’m not sure why.
There wasn’t enough of the story dealing with the trips, I wanted more of that.
So many story lines that felt just added to be added, not fully fleshed out. Even the overall story. So she had a famous movie star friend. Ok. They wrote a script that might be a movie. Ok. She had an unfortunate run in with a movie executive. Ok. She had a relationship with a man in the past. Ok. There was an influencer that had some health issues after time traveling. Ok. She was having health issues. Ok. Even the end, she got in the tomorrow train. Ok. I don’t think many of these went anywhere, or were expanded on enough.
And the ending. Cmon. I get letting the reader sometimes decide or come up with how they interpret the ending but it felt lazy. What happened to Ash? What happened to Jane? What happened to Ro? What happened to Retro? Did others remember her again?
Also, and this bothered me a bit, if she was going to stay in the past but needed to leave the embassy for other explorers what was to stop her from telling them what happened, or violently taking their pastports to get back and if they go back to the same point in time and place wouldn’t it be Ash’s past anyway?
This was probably a 2 star book but bc I love time travel and this was a new concept to me I was forgiving. But it could use a liftoff gold coating to make it better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2026
AND YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAD ME UNTIL THAT ENDING AND NOW PAY FOR MY THERAPY
June 23, 2026
Was the plot in the room with us?
April 17, 2026
I did not want this book to end, which is how I know I had to give it five stars.
It’s just such a rich story filled with three-dimensional characters and workplace dynamics that feel so true to life. I loved our flawed-yet-relatable protagonist, Ash, and I was always rooting for her and her friends. The times/places they visited in the past were both vivid and fascinating. Plot twists kept me on my toes. The time-travel “science” was easy to digest, and it never distracted from the real story — which was one of a human being wondering what life is really supposed to be about. What are memories worth? What value do we really provide to one another? How do we leave an imprint on this world?
Blown away by this debut novel. Jessica Goldstein is a star.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
It’s just such a rich story filled with three-dimensional characters and workplace dynamics that feel so true to life. I loved our flawed-yet-relatable protagonist, Ash, and I was always rooting for her and her friends. The times/places they visited in the past were both vivid and fascinating. Plot twists kept me on my toes. The time-travel “science” was easy to digest, and it never distracted from the real story — which was one of a human being wondering what life is really supposed to be about. What are memories worth? What value do we really provide to one another? How do we leave an imprint on this world?
Blown away by this debut novel. Jessica Goldstein is a star.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
February 24, 2026
I read Retro as a buddy read and really wanted it to click for me, but overall it fell short of my expectations.
Jessica Goldstein sets up an intriguing premise and a very specific atmosphere, but the pacing dragged for a large portion of the book. It felt like the story could have been significantly tighter, and I often found myself waiting for the plot to truly move. There’s a lot of setting and scene detail layered in, and while I can see what it was trying to establish, much of it didn’t feel essential to my experience as a reader.
The strongest element for me was Ash. Her character development is solid, and I appreciated watching her evolve from the moment she lands the job at Retro through everything that follows. That said, I wanted more depth and sharper emotional payoff. A lot happens across the timeline, and while the slow build is clearly intentional, the eventual delivery didn’t hit as hard as I expected.
It wasn’t until around the last 20% that I felt fully engaged, and by then I was wishing the earlier sections had been trimmed or given a stronger sense of forward momentum.
Thank you to NetGalley, Jessica Goldstein, and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and shared voluntarily.
Jessica Goldstein sets up an intriguing premise and a very specific atmosphere, but the pacing dragged for a large portion of the book. It felt like the story could have been significantly tighter, and I often found myself waiting for the plot to truly move. There’s a lot of setting and scene detail layered in, and while I can see what it was trying to establish, much of it didn’t feel essential to my experience as a reader.
The strongest element for me was Ash. Her character development is solid, and I appreciated watching her evolve from the moment she lands the job at Retro through everything that follows. That said, I wanted more depth and sharper emotional payoff. A lot happens across the timeline, and while the slow build is clearly intentional, the eventual delivery didn’t hit as hard as I expected.
It wasn’t until around the last 20% that I felt fully engaged, and by then I was wishing the earlier sections had been trimmed or given a stronger sense of forward momentum.
Thank you to NetGalley, Jessica Goldstein, and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and shared voluntarily.
June 19, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for inviting me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I hate to say it, but this book was just boring to me. There was SO much happening throughout the book, it felt all over the place. There were way too many side characters to keep up with. The fact that I can say I was bored with all of that is kind of sad. I was just rushing to finish it.
First we started with the long build up of Ash being down on life to eventually her getting the job to work for Retro. We learned about the job and started sending her to travel with people. I know the story needs to be set up, but it took too long in my opinion. It shouldn’t take that long to set up the premise. Then we went back and forth jumping around all over different timelines, to worrying about who Ash was going to end up with, and so much more.
I didn’t care for her relationship with Frank. I loved Miles. If he was in the book more it would have been better. I didn’t really like the nickname dollface, but it wasn’t a huge deal. At least he was an interesting character. I feel like it focused more on Frank’s relationship than with Miles, so despite me liking Miles more, the relationship seemed forced. I didn’t feel that much chemistry, between either couple to be honest. I feel like I was more told than shown. And she was playing both guys, which I thought was an interesting choice. I know it is in different periods of time, but she was still dating two people at one time basically. Miles did know about it, but still.
I liked Luca as well. His character made me laugh. I enjoyed Jane too! She really picked up for me at the end.
I didn’t really care to follow Ash. There was nothing really about her character that made me want to root for her. Some things rubbed me the wrong way, like the one scene where she said who cares if women feel like a sex object or invisible, because it isn’t that important. What a wild thing to say. I know she was talking about herself in that case, but still. Plus, I just didn’t feel very connected to her.
I thought it was good that it talked about the dangers of time travel and thought it was unique how it messed with people’s head, whether they were the ones to time travel or not.
It finally started to get good at about the 20% mark.
Ro was crazy, and it was so scary to see what he was capable of. You had to suspend your disbelief with some of his theories and practices, but that is okay.
I was so excited to finally be engaged in the rest of the book. Then boom. It just ended. No conclusion, no answers, nothing. Now I don’t always mind an open ending. Sometimes it makes sense for the story. This one was just frustrating! Not only are there a lot of characters stories that are left open ended that interacted with Ash, but we don’t even find out what happens to her! Which makes me so upset. I guess in a way it is cool for the author to leave it up to the reader to decide what happens, and I have what I think does, but to go through that whole book and build up to the end, only for it to end super abruptly, really sucked. It just made it feel like everything we went through while reading was kind of pointless. Also, Ash’s conflict at the end of the book didn’t last for very long. Not that I necessarily wanted to read more of her time there, but still. I was so panicked for her and what she was going through, only for the next page practically it started to get resolved.
This book had a really cool concept. Being able to take a train to a random point in time just willy-nilly sounds like it would be really fun to read about! This one just did not work for me at all.
I hate to say it, but this book was just boring to me. There was SO much happening throughout the book, it felt all over the place. There were way too many side characters to keep up with. The fact that I can say I was bored with all of that is kind of sad. I was just rushing to finish it.
First we started with the long build up of Ash being down on life to eventually her getting the job to work for Retro. We learned about the job and started sending her to travel with people. I know the story needs to be set up, but it took too long in my opinion. It shouldn’t take that long to set up the premise. Then we went back and forth jumping around all over different timelines, to worrying about who Ash was going to end up with, and so much more.
I didn’t care for her relationship with Frank. I loved Miles. If he was in the book more it would have been better. I didn’t really like the nickname dollface, but it wasn’t a huge deal. At least he was an interesting character. I feel like it focused more on Frank’s relationship than with Miles, so despite me liking Miles more, the relationship seemed forced. I didn’t feel that much chemistry, between either couple to be honest. I feel like I was more told than shown. And she was playing both guys, which I thought was an interesting choice. I know it is in different periods of time, but she was still dating two people at one time basically. Miles did know about it, but still.
I liked Luca as well. His character made me laugh. I enjoyed Jane too! She really picked up for me at the end.
I didn’t really care to follow Ash. There was nothing really about her character that made me want to root for her. Some things rubbed me the wrong way, like the one scene where she said who cares if women feel like a sex object or invisible, because it isn’t that important. What a wild thing to say. I know she was talking about herself in that case, but still. Plus, I just didn’t feel very connected to her.
I thought it was good that it talked about the dangers of time travel and thought it was unique how it messed with people’s head, whether they were the ones to time travel or not.
It finally started to get good at about the 20% mark.
Ro was crazy, and it was so scary to see what he was capable of. You had to suspend your disbelief with some of his theories and practices, but that is okay.
I was so excited to finally be engaged in the rest of the book. Then boom. It just ended. No conclusion, no answers, nothing. Now I don’t always mind an open ending. Sometimes it makes sense for the story. This one was just frustrating! Not only are there a lot of characters stories that are left open ended that interacted with Ash, but we don’t even find out what happens to her! Which makes me so upset. I guess in a way it is cool for the author to leave it up to the reader to decide what happens, and I have what I think does, but to go through that whole book and build up to the end, only for it to end super abruptly, really sucked. It just made it feel like everything we went through while reading was kind of pointless. Also, Ash’s conflict at the end of the book didn’t last for very long. Not that I necessarily wanted to read more of her time there, but still. I was so panicked for her and what she was going through, only for the next page practically it started to get resolved.
This book had a really cool concept. Being able to take a train to a random point in time just willy-nilly sounds like it would be really fun to read about! This one just did not work for me at all.
July 10, 2026
I went into this book so excited because I’d never read a story built around this concept before. The idea of a time travel agency where your job is taking people to different moments in history sounds incredible. Unfortunately, the actual time travel was not the focus and it constantly glossed over the actual trips. That was the part I wanted most! I wanted detailed adventures through history and get to know the people choosing to take those trips. We really only got the boys Woodstock trip and the bachelorette Wild West party trip, which, combined, felt like maybe 11 pages out of a 402 page book. There was so much potential to explore different eras, the clients, and the magic of the job itself but it never came. For most of the book, nothing happened, so I kept waiting for the moment everything would come together. The final 13% shifted and it was harrowing. And then… it just ended abruptly. Such a cool premise, but I finished the book feeling more frustrated than satisfied because I wanted so much more from the parts that made me excited to read it in the first place.
March 23, 2026
I loved this.
In a world where time travel is available to the wealthy, Ash sees an ad that Retro is hiring and gets a job. She and her coworkers spend their days off time traveling for fun, and she starts a fling with a man from the 1930s and also her present-day coworker. Meanwhile the billionaire CEO has taken a special interest in her, and there is an underlying tension that something isn’t quite right at the company.
Honestly this has a little bit of everything— romance, sci-fi, historical fiction.
I hope the author writes more books because I will read them!
In a world where time travel is available to the wealthy, Ash sees an ad that Retro is hiring and gets a job. She and her coworkers spend their days off time traveling for fun, and she starts a fling with a man from the 1930s and also her present-day coworker. Meanwhile the billionaire CEO has taken a special interest in her, and there is an underlying tension that something isn’t quite right at the company.
Honestly this has a little bit of everything— romance, sci-fi, historical fiction.
I hope the author writes more books because I will read them!
July 3, 2026
Typical millenial fiction featuring a rudderless urban transplant whose deep interiority belies a complete lack of self- and social-awareness. The well-meaning author’s note seems to describe a book completely different than the one they wrote. This is an uninteresting and unexciting slog. Fans of recent, similarly bland fare like The Ministry of Time and Yesteryear may enjoy this book, but I think it’s probably worse than both. I’d like to propose a ten-year moratorium on all novels written by individuals born between say 1987 and 1997.
June 30, 2026
*morning after edit*
The longer I dwell on the ending the more I think the author bit off more than they could chew. It built and built and then ends. I understand why it ended that way but I think with a few small changes it would have wrapped up a lot better. So I’m changing my rating from a 4 to a 3.5
* *
That was so fun but hey what was that ending, someone help. The dialog was fun and the concept was fun! I truly did not guess some of the events that unfolded so that was fun too
The longer I dwell on the ending the more I think the author bit off more than they could chew. It built and built and then ends. I understand why it ended that way but I think with a few small changes it would have wrapped up a lot better. So I’m changing my rating from a 4 to a 3.5
* *
That was so fun but hey what was that ending, someone help. The dialog was fun and the concept was fun! I truly did not guess some of the events that unfolded so that was fun too
July 5, 2026
4.5*
Can I just say, talk about a dream job! How fun would it be to get paid (and housed!) to travel back in time with all the safeguards in place, no commitment, just a day trip? Sign me up. Ash agrees, because she signs up without much (or any, frankly) hesitation. It makes sense for her character, though. Her life feels like one giant dead end, she’s just been canned from a job she hated, her acting career is going nowhere fast while her bestie from college is walking red carpets and filming in amazing locales. She barely speaks to her parents, has no local friendships or romantic prospects… basically nothing is keeping her in the present time and place.
And the adventures truly do await! She heads back in time with her team- Luca and Jane, who she was initially worried about working with, but eventually grows to truly see as a “team”- as a sort of hospitality job. They are basically guides, there for the wealthy clients who pay a lot for the newest elitist brag- time travel. But, there are definitely secrets being kept, and much more at stake than Ash could possibly know. I absolutely devoured this book, for the time travel and the excitement, but also for the character development and relationships. Honestly, how many of us are feeling like we’re not fully living? Retro highlights social media’s influence on how we feel about ourselves and our lives, and how the grass always looks greener on someone else’s (perfectly curated to look greener) feed.
My only qualm? I have never needed a sequel so badly! Will there be one? I haven’t a clue, I could find nothing (and believe me, I tried) confirming or denying. But if the author wanted to write one, I know there’d be an audience! Also, a fun tidbit: while I was searching, I stumbled upon the author’s website, which has its own Retro site, where you can do fun things like make your own Pastport! Definitely check it out, and obviously, you’ll want to read the book, too!
Can I just say, talk about a dream job! How fun would it be to get paid (and housed!) to travel back in time with all the safeguards in place, no commitment, just a day trip? Sign me up. Ash agrees, because she signs up without much (or any, frankly) hesitation. It makes sense for her character, though. Her life feels like one giant dead end, she’s just been canned from a job she hated, her acting career is going nowhere fast while her bestie from college is walking red carpets and filming in amazing locales. She barely speaks to her parents, has no local friendships or romantic prospects… basically nothing is keeping her in the present time and place.
And the adventures truly do await! She heads back in time with her team- Luca and Jane, who she was initially worried about working with, but eventually grows to truly see as a “team”- as a sort of hospitality job. They are basically guides, there for the wealthy clients who pay a lot for the newest elitist brag- time travel. But, there are definitely secrets being kept, and much more at stake than Ash could possibly know. I absolutely devoured this book, for the time travel and the excitement, but also for the character development and relationships. Honestly, how many of us are feeling like we’re not fully living? Retro highlights social media’s influence on how we feel about ourselves and our lives, and how the grass always looks greener on someone else’s (perfectly curated to look greener) feed.
My only qualm? I have never needed a sequel so badly! Will there be one? I haven’t a clue, I could find nothing (and believe me, I tried) confirming or denying. But if the author wanted to write one, I know there’d be an audience! Also, a fun tidbit: while I was searching, I stumbled upon the author’s website, which has its own Retro site, where you can do fun things like make your own Pastport! Definitely check it out, and obviously, you’ll want to read the book, too!
July 13, 2026
If you enjoy unique time travel tales, this one could be right up your alley. Retro is a luxury time travel company that offers travel packages to their wealthy clientele.
Want to have a bachelorette party in the Wild West complete with a cowboy needing to rescue the bride after she’s been kidnapped and tied to the railroad tracks?
Want to go to a party during the Roaring 20’s? How about watching Lincoln give the Gettysburg address? Or maybe stand on the grassy knoll in Dallas when JFK’s motorcade goes through. The possibilities are limitless!
Ash was a down and out unemployed actress/temp worker when she gets a job at Retro. She babysits the clients as a time travel guide ensuring they have the best experience possible.
I really found the premise very intriguing and definitely enjoyed the read. I wasn’t a huge fan of Ash, but I did enjoy her coworkers.
The ending was… unexpected. I’m not sure if there will be a sequel, but I think there should be.
*Thanks so much to Ballantine Books and to NetGalley for the gifted eARC!*
Want to have a bachelorette party in the Wild West complete with a cowboy needing to rescue the bride after she’s been kidnapped and tied to the railroad tracks?
Want to go to a party during the Roaring 20’s? How about watching Lincoln give the Gettysburg address? Or maybe stand on the grassy knoll in Dallas when JFK’s motorcade goes through. The possibilities are limitless!
Ash was a down and out unemployed actress/temp worker when she gets a job at Retro. She babysits the clients as a time travel guide ensuring they have the best experience possible.
I really found the premise very intriguing and definitely enjoyed the read. I wasn’t a huge fan of Ash, but I did enjoy her coworkers.
The ending was… unexpected. I’m not sure if there will be a sequel, but I think there should be.
*Thanks so much to Ballantine Books and to NetGalley for the gifted eARC!*
Did Not Finish
April 25, 2026Just can’t read about millennials without wanting to kms sorry
August 14, 2026
What a wonderfully fresh concept with great observations of both capitalism and sexism. Retro is Yesteryear, but better. Thank you for the loan Ceri!
June 24, 2026
••• ARC/ALC REVIEW •••
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.25 stars)
Do I recommend: I liked it! So really your call.
***Available now***
I love a good time travel story, and this one had an excellent premise. I liked it but unfortunately I felt like I didn’t know where to focus, so it’s landing at 3.25 (positive!) stars from me.
Ash lands a job at Retro, a luxury time travel agency (why go on a normal vacation when you can go BACK IN TIME?!). She soon realizes that time travel isn’t as simple as everyone has been led to believe.
This really had a lot of fun elements and moments! I liked the premise, appreciated the social commentary (spoiler alert - billionaires and men are the worst BUT YOU ALREADY KNEW THAT, YOU BEAUTIFUL GENIUS), and enjoyed stepping into the world of time travel.
Ultimately I think this book had too many elements to focus on (Her friend! Her screenplay! Her ex! Her past! Her mom! Her love interest(s)! Her friends!) that I simply lost focus. I was reeled back in at the last 10% or so, at which point I was like OKAY NOW WE HAVE A BOOK I REALLY WANT TO READ (cue Jojo singing Too Little, Too Late).
Anyway, it was a good time and I’m not mad I read it but I also will forget everything that happened and won’t use time travel to read it again for the first time, know what I mean?!
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.25 stars)
Do I recommend: I liked it! So really your call.
***Available now***
I love a good time travel story, and this one had an excellent premise. I liked it but unfortunately I felt like I didn’t know where to focus, so it’s landing at 3.25 (positive!) stars from me.
Ash lands a job at Retro, a luxury time travel agency (why go on a normal vacation when you can go BACK IN TIME?!). She soon realizes that time travel isn’t as simple as everyone has been led to believe.
This really had a lot of fun elements and moments! I liked the premise, appreciated the social commentary (spoiler alert - billionaires and men are the worst BUT YOU ALREADY KNEW THAT, YOU BEAUTIFUL GENIUS), and enjoyed stepping into the world of time travel.
Ultimately I think this book had too many elements to focus on (Her friend! Her screenplay! Her ex! Her past! Her mom! Her love interest(s)! Her friends!) that I simply lost focus. I was reeled back in at the last 10% or so, at which point I was like OKAY NOW WE HAVE A BOOK I REALLY WANT TO READ (cue Jojo singing Too Little, Too Late).
Anyway, it was a good time and I’m not mad I read it but I also will forget everything that happened and won’t use time travel to read it again for the first time, know what I mean?!
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
August 22, 2026
This was such a disappointing read because it had everything I normally love. I love speculative fiction, and I’m especially drawn to stories about time travel, so the premise immediately caught my attention. Unfortunately, the execution completely lost me. My biggest problem was that the book felt unnecessarily long without actually giving me enough clarity about what was happening. Instead of moving the story forward, the writing often spent so much time describing and circling around things that the reading experience became exhausting. I kept waiting for the story to finally explain where all of this was going, but by the end, I was still wondering what exactly had happened and, more importantly, what the point of it all was. I think there was a genuinely interesting story buried somewhere in this book, and with a tighter structure and more direct storytelling, it could have been much more effective. The time-travel premise had so much potential, which made it even more frustrating to see the novel spend so much time on details that ultimately didn’t give me a clearer understanding of the story. By the end, I didn’t feel intrigued or moved. I mostly felt tired and confused. And that’s particularly disappointing when a book starts with a premise that is so perfectly suited to my taste.
August 5, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
I thought this book was brilliant! I couldn’t put it down. I disagree with the other reviews that describe the pacing as slow. It sucked me in and I found myself thinking about it during the day, excited to pick it back up at night to see where (when!) Ash found herself.
The writing was atmospheric and poetic without feeling like it was trying too hard, and the dialogue was strong. It felt reminiscent for me of The Good Place tv show in its mix of fiction/sci-fi, whimsy, energy, and cast of characters.
I picture this being a great movie or limited series. Definitely will read more of Goldstein’s work, as I doubt this will be her last!
Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Jessica M. Goldstein for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I thought this book was brilliant! I couldn’t put it down. I disagree with the other reviews that describe the pacing as slow. It sucked me in and I found myself thinking about it during the day, excited to pick it back up at night to see where (when!) Ash found herself.
The writing was atmospheric and poetic without feeling like it was trying too hard, and the dialogue was strong. It felt reminiscent for me of The Good Place tv show in its mix of fiction/sci-fi, whimsy, energy, and cast of characters.
I picture this being a great movie or limited series. Definitely will read more of Goldstein’s work, as I doubt this will be her last!
Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Jessica M. Goldstein for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
July 29, 2026
Read this for a book club and we all had a really weird time with it. I absolutely hated the first...probably third of this book, found the second third really boring, and then really enjoyed the last third. I found the beginning read really badly as a debut trying too hard in terms of prose, and it took far too long to really get a handle on what the fuck we're supposed to think about the main character. I eventually came around to 'an "unlikeable" MC that you do grow sympathy for'....and then I was shook when people in my book club didn't agree she was intentionally unlikeable, but then also didn't find her sympathetic either. (LOL I HATE ASH, UGH.)
The main weakness of this book for me is that it takes too long to develop stakes. I want to say it took too long to grow a plot, but that's not quite accurate. Goldstein is obviously moving this story towards a goal the whole time, it's just that in the meantime, she's more interested in taking us through a revolving door of 'witty traveling through time' scenes that seem to be the thing she's most interested in/entertained by (and that I mostly found very boring). So when the big reveal happens, it happens way too late in the story and everything after it becomes very very focused, which is too dramatic a tone shift for the book to overall feel coherent. The thing my book club all agreed on was that it all felt pretty shallow.
I did however, really enjoy that sudden more directed ending, I found that part to be the most interesting and engaging part of the whole story, and would probably consider reading the sequel this feels like its leading to.
The main weakness of this book for me is that it takes too long to develop stakes. I want to say it took too long to grow a plot, but that's not quite accurate. Goldstein is obviously moving this story towards a goal the whole time, it's just that in the meantime, she's more interested in taking us through a revolving door of 'witty traveling through time' scenes that seem to be the thing she's most interested in/entertained by (and that I mostly found very boring). So when the big reveal happens, it happens way too late in the story and everything after it becomes very very focused, which is too dramatic a tone shift for the book to overall feel coherent. The thing my book club all agreed on was that it all felt pretty shallow.
I did however, really enjoy that sudden more directed ending, I found that part to be the most interesting and engaging part of the whole story, and would probably consider reading the sequel this feels like its leading to.
July 17, 2026
Almost a 5 star until the end- if Jane had her pastport, why couldn’t Ash use Christopher’s?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2026
3.75 stars.
Ash is an out of work actress who sees an ad looking to hire a Time Travel Agent for the hot, luxury destination service, Retro. Getting the job seems like a dream come true at first. A fancy themed apartment and wardrobe and access to time travel experiences which are usually only available to the wealthy.
Enter a love triangle between a handsome private eye in 1937 and her modern, seemingly reclusive colleague and it really seems like Ash's life is looking up.
But then, strange things start to occur and answers are elusive. The timeline is resilient, people keep telling her, but that doesn't seem like much of an answer at all when it feels like her brain and her life are starting to go sideways.
Retro was definitely an enjoyable read, though I found the pacing to be a bit jarring as it felt like everything driving the plot really happened in the last 15-20% while everything before just seemed to flow by gently with only bits of set up here and there.
Goldstein's book is timely with commentary on nostalgia and the power of tech billionaires in modern society but not overwrought and is a good reminder that even when things look shiny on the surface, there can be a lot more going on beneath which is much more malicious.
Thank you to Book Huddle, Ballantine, and Net Galley for access to this as an e-ARC.
Ash is an out of work actress who sees an ad looking to hire a Time Travel Agent for the hot, luxury destination service, Retro. Getting the job seems like a dream come true at first. A fancy themed apartment and wardrobe and access to time travel experiences which are usually only available to the wealthy.
Enter a love triangle between a handsome private eye in 1937 and her modern, seemingly reclusive colleague and it really seems like Ash's life is looking up.
But then, strange things start to occur and answers are elusive. The timeline is resilient, people keep telling her, but that doesn't seem like much of an answer at all when it feels like her brain and her life are starting to go sideways.
Retro was definitely an enjoyable read, though I found the pacing to be a bit jarring as it felt like everything driving the plot really happened in the last 15-20% while everything before just seemed to flow by gently with only bits of set up here and there.
Goldstein's book is timely with commentary on nostalgia and the power of tech billionaires in modern society but not overwrought and is a good reminder that even when things look shiny on the surface, there can be a lot more going on beneath which is much more malicious.
Thank you to Book Huddle, Ballantine, and Net Galley for access to this as an e-ARC.
August 25, 2026
Ash is an out of work actor. She’s desperately trying to make ends meet while everyone else seems to be doing well. But then she spots an ad for Retro, a unique time travel agency, who are looking for guides to lead explorers back into the past. This could be just the job for Ash, after all, as an actor, she’s used to integrating herself into different eras, this isn’t that different, right?
And so she starts a new life working for Retro, taking a group of guests to Woodstock, escorting a hen party to the Wild West and even falling in love with a PI in 1937 LA. And she’s happy. Her debts are getting paid off and her life is exciting and glamorous and fun. But when the fun runs out, what’s left for Ash?
This was a brilliant concept, I love the thought of time travel and the whole story was engineered perfectly. I loved Ash, I could relate and empathise with all of her decisions. Her experiences in the past were incredibly immersive snd although it took me a little while to get really embroiled in the story, once I did I couldn’t turn away.
There were a few extra storylines here that didn’t really amount to much and I think I’d have preferred those to be omitted and more focus on Ash’s time at Retro. Oh and be warned the ending is somewhat ambiguous. That won’t be for everyone but I thought it was perfect
And so she starts a new life working for Retro, taking a group of guests to Woodstock, escorting a hen party to the Wild West and even falling in love with a PI in 1937 LA. And she’s happy. Her debts are getting paid off and her life is exciting and glamorous and fun. But when the fun runs out, what’s left for Ash?
This was a brilliant concept, I love the thought of time travel and the whole story was engineered perfectly. I loved Ash, I could relate and empathise with all of her decisions. Her experiences in the past were incredibly immersive snd although it took me a little while to get really embroiled in the story, once I did I couldn’t turn away.
There were a few extra storylines here that didn’t really amount to much and I think I’d have preferred those to be omitted and more focus on Ash’s time at Retro. Oh and be warned the ending is somewhat ambiguous. That won’t be for everyone but I thought it was perfect
July 13, 2026
*I mention this book in my essay "The Magical Drought: A Concerning Trend for Escapists Everywhere" so check it out for more specific thoughts!*
(As I mention in the above essay) I've read a lot of books in the past year or so that were somehow lacking in magic, not necessarily in terms of fantasy but in terms of beauty, enchantment, and escapism. Retro is kind of a funny case where the book is so magical but the plot structure is...poorly done let's say. I could read at least 300 more pages of Ash just going on adventures through time, seeing all the lost wonders of the world, spending time with her colleagues, and dealing with annoying clients. That is most of what this book is and Goldstein really knows how to draw the magic out of those scenes. Then in the last 50 pages, the book really speedruns the central conflict in a way that is–at best–rushed and confusing. It was obvious that the CEO was kind of a freak, but I don't...get it.
I don't understand the benefit I don't really understand Milo's role either or what exactly went down with Molly the Moll, and we don't get a clear conclusion on that.
Deeply enchanting, 10/10 escapism, absolute clusterfuck of a plot. I still really enjoyed reading it, but if you are looking for a strong plot, you won't find it here.
(As I mention in the above essay) I've read a lot of books in the past year or so that were somehow lacking in magic, not necessarily in terms of fantasy but in terms of beauty, enchantment, and escapism. Retro is kind of a funny case where the book is so magical but the plot structure is...poorly done let's say. I could read at least 300 more pages of Ash just going on adventures through time, seeing all the lost wonders of the world, spending time with her colleagues, and dealing with annoying clients. That is most of what this book is and Goldstein really knows how to draw the magic out of those scenes. Then in the last 50 pages, the book really speedruns the central conflict in a way that is–at best–rushed and confusing. It was obvious that the CEO was kind of a freak, but I don't...get it.
I don't understand the benefit I don't really understand Milo's role either or what exactly went down with Molly the Moll, and we don't get a clear conclusion on that.
Deeply enchanting, 10/10 escapism, absolute clusterfuck of a plot. I still really enjoyed reading it, but if you are looking for a strong plot, you won't find it here.
August 15, 2026
This book could have been amazing but unfortunately it was not as good as it could have/should have been. Much of it was a slog to get through. There were many great insights, but they were buried in the meandering narrative so didn't pack the punch it should.
A 5 star story, ruined by poor editing
A 5 star story, ruined by poor editing
July 13, 2026
Ash recently lost yet another job. She is adrift and doesn't know what to do with her life when she sees an ad for Retro saying they are hiring. She applies for the job and is very quickly hired to be a Time Travel Agent where she travels back in time with members of the public - think rich people on getaways rich with experience! The idea of this book is appealing, especially the ability to get away to simpler time periods. I liked the nostalgic smells that are piped in to Retro's headquarters, and the descriptions of travel to the 80's, 90's and early 2000's (especially when they visited the mall!). But this book was too long, heavy on details that dragged the plot and didn't seem to be important in the end, and speaking of, the ending of this book was rushed terribly. And it was the most fascinating part of the entire plot! Overall, this book was a time suck and I wish I had a retro conveyor to jump on to take me back to last week before I started the book.
Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the DRC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the DRC in exchange for my honest review.
August 23, 2026
I 1000% understand that this is not a five star read for everybody (although I am surprised at some of the low ratings and vitriol for this one?!). But I love creative time travel concepts and ambiguous endings and I really enjoyed this one - especially since the jacket copy made it sound like a potential romance (not my thing necessarily) story but I found it to be much more about memory, friendship, nostalgia, etc.
July 6, 2026
Cool concept, but did not work completely for me. A few too many plot holes (and some weird pro-gun stuff???) and the ending was disappointing.
Ashley, a failed actress, turns to working as a tour guide for a time travel agency. Her clients are the ultra rich, her boss is a billionaire, nothing they are doing is safe.
Ashley, a failed actress, turns to working as a tour guide for a time travel agency. Her clients are the ultra rich, her boss is a billionaire, nothing they are doing is safe.
August 3, 2026
(rounded up from 1.5)
This was such a slog. I couldn't imagine a book about commercialised time travel headed by a charismatic millionaire could be boring, but here we are. I think a large part of the blame is with the main character: Ash is incredibly boring and has no real personality traits or interests. She is embroiled in an affair with a man in the past and also a mysterious coworker in the time travel company, and is taken out to lunch dates by the mysterious founder, and I have no sense of the characters of any of these men aside from them being handsome, nor her relationships to them.
The idea of time travel is full of holes, but Ash is incredibly incurious about any of it. The trips to the past are somehow boring, the implications of time travel are also mostly ignored, and the chapters are dull side quests and conversations. I decided to persist instead of DNFing it because apparently things pick up in the last 10% (far too late), and even that is something that would have been more interesting to explore than what we actually got.
Do yourself a favor and give this one a hard pass.
This was such a slog. I couldn't imagine a book about commercialised time travel headed by a charismatic millionaire could be boring, but here we are. I think a large part of the blame is with the main character: Ash is incredibly boring and has no real personality traits or interests. She is embroiled in an affair with a man in the past and also a mysterious coworker in the time travel company, and is taken out to lunch dates by the mysterious founder, and I have no sense of the characters of any of these men aside from them being handsome, nor her relationships to them.
The idea of time travel is full of holes, but Ash is incredibly incurious about any of it. The trips to the past are somehow boring, the implications of time travel are also mostly ignored, and the chapters are dull side quests and conversations. I decided to persist instead of DNFing it because apparently things pick up in the last 10% (far too late), and even that is something that would have been more interesting to explore than what we actually got.
Do yourself a favor and give this one a hard pass.
July 11, 2026
“𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺? 𝘛𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦? 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸?”
Thanks Ballantine Books for the advanced readers copy via Netgalley! I also got an audio on Libby as soon as it was available.
A quirky, witty, nostalgic take on time travel and workplace dynamics, this one had me laughing. It was the perfect lighter, entertaining read after having read several with heavier themes. It’s a blend of sci-fi, humor, hint of romance, and historical genres, and doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is a strength. It is the type of book you want to bring to the beach or on a travel day; easy to escape into. It’s longer (14 audio hours, 416 pages) but doesn’t feel too longwinded.
I love that the cover is a nod to metro systems, which is apt given that they call their transport the “Retro Metro.” It also contains so many pop culture and historical references, and in addition to the aimless feeling Ash has in life, I found myself connecting with this one quite well.
While fun and entertaining, it does have a depth to its story that reveals itself in time (pun intended). The themes of purpose and loneliness are woven from the very beginning, and I found this so relatable. It’s a tribute to those who are late bloomers, to the nostalgic hungry, to the dreamers of travel, and a cautionary tail of being too enamored by the past that we forget not just the direction of our future but our present moments; the things and people now that give us life and joy.
Overall, enjoyable, bingeable, relatable, and minimal on content, which is always appreciated. It also gave me a massive mood reading hangover in the best way and that ending?! I recommend!
Content includes minimal profanity, brief jokes or mentions about sexual encounters and/or preferences, gun violence with casualties, vague mention of an intimate assault, and brief physical violence.
Thanks Ballantine Books for the advanced readers copy via Netgalley! I also got an audio on Libby as soon as it was available.
A quirky, witty, nostalgic take on time travel and workplace dynamics, this one had me laughing. It was the perfect lighter, entertaining read after having read several with heavier themes. It’s a blend of sci-fi, humor, hint of romance, and historical genres, and doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is a strength. It is the type of book you want to bring to the beach or on a travel day; easy to escape into. It’s longer (14 audio hours, 416 pages) but doesn’t feel too longwinded.
I love that the cover is a nod to metro systems, which is apt given that they call their transport the “Retro Metro.” It also contains so many pop culture and historical references, and in addition to the aimless feeling Ash has in life, I found myself connecting with this one quite well.
While fun and entertaining, it does have a depth to its story that reveals itself in time (pun intended). The themes of purpose and loneliness are woven from the very beginning, and I found this so relatable. It’s a tribute to those who are late bloomers, to the nostalgic hungry, to the dreamers of travel, and a cautionary tail of being too enamored by the past that we forget not just the direction of our future but our present moments; the things and people now that give us life and joy.
Overall, enjoyable, bingeable, relatable, and minimal on content, which is always appreciated. It also gave me a massive mood reading hangover in the best way and that ending?! I recommend!
Content includes minimal profanity, brief jokes or mentions about sexual encounters and/or preferences, gun violence with casualties, vague mention of an intimate assault, and brief physical violence.
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